Old Cousin Here to Stay!
by gothicfairie1092
Summary: Tohru finds a cat laying in the road and she brings her home. Is it really a cat! Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**HiHi! New Story! Enjoy!!!**

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'Hi! My name's Tohru Honda. It's during the early days of winter and the snow looks as beautiful as ever. I've been living with the Sohma family for more than a year now and I'm very happy with them. You see, the Sohma family have been under a Zodiac curse for a long time and naturally, they keep it as their family secret.'

"Gosh, it's really cold out here!" said Tohru as she walked down the lane, carrying groceries back from the store. "Nothing a hot dinner can't fix! Which reminds me, I have to get back now to fix dinner for everyone!!!" and started walking a little faster until she came across something black in the snow.

"What's this? A rock in the middle of the path? That's strange. I guess I can move it aside or not someone might trip over it and fall down." so Tohru kneeled down and grabbed whatever was in the middle of the path, but it started to move on it's own.

"Aaaaaaaaaah! What is it??!! It's moving!" and she took a closer look. Tohru then realized that it wasn't an object after all.

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"Hey, I'm home! I'm starved and freezing. How can people stand out in the cold like this?" said Kyo at the doorstep.

"Well, we can all say the same thing if you can't shut the door. You're letting the cold air in, you stupid cat." Who would reply, none other than Yuki.

"YOU SHUT UP, YA' DAMN RAT!!! YOU WANNA TAKE THIS FIGHT OUTSIDE IN THE COLD, GO AHEAD! BRING IT!"

"Now only an idiot would go to fight in such an arctic temperature, like someone I know who just insisted."

"THAT'S IT! WE'LL END THIS NOW! SINCE YOU'RE TOO SISSY TO FIGHT OUTSIDE, WE'LL FIGHT HERE!!!"

"Kyo, calm down. Have some of this delicious hot dinner that Tohru has made for us first. We don't want it to get cold now, do we?" said Shigure, still reading his newspaper.

Not saying a word, Kyo was just about to sit at the table when suddenly Tohru came bursting into the room, "WAIT!!! DON'T SIT THERE!!!"

Everyone was shocked and Kyo jumped into the air thinking there was something dangerous on the floor or on his cushion. He looked down and saw there was a lump of sheets where his cushion would normally be.

"What the heck is that doing there? Isn't this where I'm supposed to be sitting??" asked Kyo.

"Please, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were back yet so I couldn't move him out of the way. And don't blame him either, he's just tired! I'm sorry!"

"What are you talking about?? And who's 'he'??"

Tohru uncovered the sheets and everyone saw a black bundle of fur, sleeping soundly in its warmth.

"Now what the heck is that??!! You're nursing coal on my cushion??!!"

"No, you idiot. Miss Honda just found him this morning, out in the cold, left helplessly on the sidewalk. Since you are one, I thought you would recognize your own species." said Yuki, in his usual sarcastic manner.

Kyo glared angrily at Yuki then turned his attention once again to the little black thing that was sitting on his cushion. He looked a little closer and started to poke the little furball until they saw a little head emerge, and its triangular ears began to twitch.

It raised its little head and suddenly big green eyes were visible from his black body. It was a cat that Tohru found on the street. "Now that's just great! A cat's been sitting in my cushion!!!"

"I thought a stupid cat always sits there too."

"YOU SHUT THAT BIG MOUTH OF YOURS, YA' DAMN RAT!!!"

"Oh dear! Now he's awake! That's too bad mister cat! Don't worry, that's just Kyo. You can go back to sleep now!" said Tohru while stroking the cat but it just kept glaring at Kyo.

"Hey! Stop doing that!!! That's not just a cat! That's," but before Kyo could finish what he was trying to say, the black cat quickly jumped up to Kyo's face, giving Kyo such a shock.

"GET HER OFF ME!!! GET HER OFF ME!!! SHE'S TRYING TO SCRATCH MY FACE OFF!!!"

"Actually Kyo, she's hugging your face. I think she missed you." said Shigure, playfully.

"THAT'S EVEN WORSE!!! JUST . . GET . . HER . . OFF!!!" said Kyo one last time and the cat went flying off, leaving a scratch mark on his face.

"AH! Mister cat!" cried Tohru, worried for the cat's safety.

"Don't bother about her!" said Kyo.

"Yes, Tohru. Don't worry about your friend, she'll be just fine." said Shigure.

"Wait, it's a girl cat? Is that why you keep calling it a 'her'? Oh my gosh, and all this time I've been calling him a 'mister cat'! Silly me! But if you knew she was a girl, then that must mean . . ."

All of a sudden, behind the screen doors to the porch went a loud POOF and there was black smoke all around. And out from the smoke came a girl, already dressing herself in her street-smart red jacket, which had the number '5' sewn on it's back, with a black inner shirt and a pair of black pants. "Hi everyone! Nice to see you again!"

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**Please R&R!!! NO FLAMES!!!!**

**-Hanamiji! .**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chappie 2!!!**

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"So I was right! She's a relative of the Sohma family! I'm sorry, I didn't know that earlier!" apologized Tohru.

'You see, the members of the Sohma family that carry the Zodiac curse transform into the Zodiac animals when hugged by the opposite sex or when stressed out and tired. That must've explained why I found this girl lying in the snow, sleeping. She must've been very tired.'

"No problem. Actually, you were taking good care of me, until carrot-head showed up," You could hear Kyo swearing in the background. "Hi, I'm Hanamiji Sohma, Hana for short, and you must be the famous Tohru Honda. I've heard many things about you all over the area and I have to say I'm glad to have finally met you!"

"Thanks!" 'But it's strange though. If she was really under the Zodiac curse and turns into a cat, wouldn't that be an orange cat, like Kyo, instead of black?' thought Tohru.

"Hana! It's been such a long time! We all have missed you so!" said Shigure.

"I know it's been a while since my last visit but I just had to come by and see the new member of the household; little miss Tohru Honda! Am I right? So is it ok if I stay here again, Shigure?"

"Of course, you're always welcomed back here Hana."

"Well not me! I'd be glad if I could never see you ever again, you old witch!" blurted Kyo, with his arms crossed.

And with a pinch on both of his cheeks, Hana suddenly had an evil glare in her bright emerald eyes. "Now don't be so mean, Kyo. Did you know I've come all this way not only to meet Yuki, Shigure and Tohru, but I've missed you for so long!"

"OW, OW, OW!!! LEGGO OF ME ALREADY! I GET IT!!!"

"Fine then! So that's settled! I'll be moving in with Tohru since she's the first friendly face I've seen in awhile, I'll be comfortable enough to move in with her. Don't worry Tohru, I'll sleep on the floor and I won't get in the way." and made her way upstairs.

"Oh! Wait! Let me help you with your things!" and Tohru followed Hana up to her room.

"She's a free loading witch, darn it!!! Why even let her stay??!!! She's only gonna cause me trouble!!!" said Kyo.

"As much as I know, you're the one who seems to cause all the trouble instead."

"YOU KNOW, FOR SUCH A DAMN, SMALL RAT, YOU SURE HAVE A BIG STINKIN' MOUTH THAT CAN'T SHUT UP!"

"Like-wise, you stupid cat."

"WHY I OUGHTA' . . ."

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"Boy, even from downstairs, those two can sure make a lot of noise. How do you stand their useless quarrelling anyway? I mean, doesn't it bother you that they're always fighting like this??" Hana asked, while unpacking her things.

"Oh, it's alright. I'm used to it and I usually stop them before they do something worse. Aren't you used to their fighting as well?"

"Yeah, but now I'm getting an impression that they're starting to get real close to each other, since the last time I met them both. They wouldn't even speak face-to-face, but that was a long time ago. Things change, and sometimes I'm glad it does."

Tohru seems to understand how Hana feels for the family, even though she was away for a long time, staying with her parents. Suddenly, Tohru saw another medium sized bag which had a peculiar symbol on it.

'I wonder what's in that bag. But I mustn't be rude! It's awful to pry into other people's things! Anyway, it might not be anything special.'

"Uum . . . I hope you don't mind me asking but, Hana, what's your Zodiac animal? If it's the cat, why aren't you orange instead?" asked Tohru, as polite as she could.

"So, you really want to know, huh?"

"No! It's ok if you don't want to tell me! I mean, I know about the curses and everything but if there's something you don't want to tell me about your animal, that's fine too! I'm sorry for asking!"

"Tohru! Stop! You have to breathe! Breathe . . . . and relax, there's nothing I have to hide from you. It's just that I thought you couldn't guess there would be something wrong with my transformation, hahahahahaha but I was wrong. It's ok to tell you but it'll be a little complicated."

And Hana started her story: "When I was born, it was supposed to be the year of the cat and many would've agreed but also when I was born, it was already the dawn of the year of the rooster. Seeing if there would be a complication in cursed spirits at my birth, they discovered that I had to hold both the spirits of the ignorant cat and the fun-loving rooster. That's why many people say I have some sort of split personality. And that's why when I transform, I become a cat with black, red and green feather-like patches. Quite silly if you ask me."

'So I see. Since Hana was born in the year of the cat and the year of the rooster at the same time, she has to transform into half a cat and half a rooster. I thought she would find annoying but she seems alright with the fact when she transforms.'

"Alright then, I'll be heading off now." said Hana as she took the bag with the unusual symbol.

"But wait! You can't leave yet! You just got here! Where are you going? Did I do something wrong? If I did, I'm so sorry! I didn't really mean to pry so much into your story but really, I'm so sorry, Hana!"

"Tohru! I've told you already, between sentences you have to breathe!"

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Please R&R!! 


	3. Chapter 3

"Now who said I was leaving already?? I was just going to some of my special classes I always go to, nothing to worry about! I'll be home late so don't wait up for me tonight. I'll get some dinner out! Take care!" and left the room.

Tohru finished tidying up Hana's stuff into the closet and had Hana's sleeping bag out just as planned. "Gee, I wonder what kind of classesHana goes to." wondered Tohru, on her way downstairs.

"HEY! HAVE YOU SEEN THAT DARN WITCH CAT ANYWHERE??!! WELL HAVE YOU??!!" Kyo stormed into the hallway, surely looking for Hana.

"Kyo? What's wrong?" asked Tohru.

"Look what she poured on top of my head when she left! It's gonna take forever to get this stuff outta my hair!!!" Kyo pointed to some sticky orange substance which happened to be some kind of sweet jelly.

"You're lucky it's orange. At least people won't notice it that much. You'd better wash that off right now Kyo, or not it'll harden."

"Shigure's right. There's no point to chasing Hana now. She left for her special classes just now and said she wouldn't be back until late tonight." said Tohru.

"One of these days, I'm gonna skin her alive . . . grumble, grumble," and off Kyo went to wash the clammy liquid from his hair.

"Hey Shigure, have Kyo and Hana been fighting like this too?" asked Tohru, as she sat back at the table.

"Hm? Oh yes! Well that's just their ordinary childish teasing of one another. Hana doesn't tend to get mean all the time, it's just that . . . sometimes when being the cat, it gets her to express her true aggression. Do you understand what I'm saying, Tohru?"

"So you mean, it's because of her split personality of the cat against another cat?"

"And in this case, is Kyo. In nature, most cats are solitary and sole creatures so when they meet each other, they tend to cross-roads and get into fights but since Hana's a girl, it isn't that aggressive as you might think. Fist fights are only for grown men and Hana knows that as well as Kyo does." concluded Shigure.

"JUST WAIT UNTIL SHE GETS BACK! I'M GONNA SHRED HER TO PIECES!!! AND I'LL PUT ALL KINDS OF JELLY ON HER HEAD AND SEE IF SHE'LL LIKE IT!!!" yelled Kyo from upstairs and everyone just kept quiet.

"Miss Honda, didn't you just say that Hana went to her special classes? Did she tell you what kind of classes she goes to?" asked Yuki.

"No and I didn't really want to ask. Maybe she'll tell me tomorrow, after school."

"Actually, you don't have to wait until after school. Hana's going to be in the same school as you all, and she's skipped a grade. She'll be joining Haru and Momiji's class and won't Momiji be glad to see her again, since it's been so long for them as well." said Shigure.

"Wow! Really! That'll be great! Hana's going to join us at the same school and I can introduce them to Uo and Hana! This'll be so great!"

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"This'll be a DISASTER!!! Do you hear me! Not only is that darn witch living with us but now she's gonna be torturing me at our school??!! That's it, I'm gonna move back to the mountains!" said Kyo, leaning back on his chair.

"What's with the attitude, carrot-top? This one's a girl and I thought you'd see her in a different way. So which class is she in again?" asked Uo.

"Why the hell do you wanna ask me for?!! I wouldn't bother knowing anything about her!!" Kyo snapped back.

"I was asking Tohru, not you, you deaf oversized carrot."

"Well Kasumi's skipped a grade from her last school and the committee allowed her to be with her other cousins in their class. I bet Yuki's showing Kasumi to her new class right now. We'll meet up together afterwards, ok?" answered Tohru while Kyo was still swearing.

"Indeed, she is near. I can sense her strange electrical waves moving around the school. I must put a note on her waves, for they are a must to study about." said Hana.

"Whaddya mean, Hana? What makes her so special than carrot-top and 'prince'?" asked Uo, as well that everyone else was curious.

"I can't really say, though I would also like to meet her very much to make sure. I must see how she treats our dear Tohru, seeing that she shares a room with her."

"Don't worry about how she acts. She's alright with me! In fact, she's really nice once you get to know her!" said Tohru, nervously.

"Nice? More like wicked, just like the witch she is." said Kyo, under his breath.

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**R&R!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4!!**

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". . . . and then she told me so many jokes like the one when she poured orange jelly on Kyo's head yesterday!" laughed Momiji, telling stories and funny jokes Hana made in class.

"HEY, KNOCK IT OFF MOMIJI! IT WASN'T FUNNY AT ALL!" yelled Kyo while everyone else laughed.

"So where is she? I thought she would be with you guys?" asked Uo, impatiently to meet the new member of the family living with her best friend.

"Yuki's having a little chat with her somewhere behind the school grounds. They should be here any minute now." replied Haru.

"So may that be her, walking with the 'prince' Yuki?" asked Saki as she pointed in a direction, behind Haru and the others.

Hana was walking side-by-side with Yuki up to the others while talking, both with cheerful faces. "Hi Tohru! Hey guys! So you must be Tohru's best friends I've heard from Yuki all this time! Nice to meet you!" and shook hands with Uo and Hana.

"Nice meeting you too. Hana Sohma, right?" said Uo as they exchanged smiles.

"It is a pleasure to interact with your special electrical waves, for they are very jovial today." said Saki all of a sudden.

Everyone broke into silence but then Hana gave a friendly chuckle. "Wow! I know that kind of gift! I can't believe I'm meeting someone who has carries this rare power! You're so cool!" replied Hana with a big smile. Saki returned her smile with a thank you for the compliment.

"Uh-oh, here comes the annoying squad." warned Uo.

"Who?" asked Hana, and frankly everyone else knew 'who' was Uo referring to and so did Yuki.

The Yuki fan-girls did their usual meeting cheer and their president of the fan club stepped forward to address herself, her team members and then moved in to intervene the friendly reunion.

"Hey! We saw you earlier today walking with our prince Yuki to school, then you were shown to your class by prince Yuki himself AND you were called out to have a conversation with him after class!!!" said the Yuki fan club president.

"Yeah? So?" replied Hana, feeling a little uneasy with these girls who were real obsessive over Yuki.

"Since you are in a class lower than him and a new school student, you are to strictly follow these rules immediately! One: You must address him as Prince Yuki at all times! Second: You are not allowed to talk to him without having two other girls accompanying you and lastly, you are encouraged to stay far away from Yuki at all costs,"

"Yeah! Your 'weirdness' odor is stinking up his area! We don't want any new school losers troubling our prince Yuki." said another.

"Hey! This is her first day here, and you can't just . ."

"Don't worry about it miss Uoatani. As far as I know Hana, she can handle people like these herself." said Yuki.

"Huh? Oh really?" asked Tohru and when she turned around, she saw Hana getting her evil glare in her emerald eyes again.

"Jeez, you horrors really talk too much, you know that? I bet you talk so much, you don't even have the time to brush your teeth in the morning. It's like that stupid pair of flapping lips just ain't shuttin' up so no wonder Yuki keeps stayin' waaaaaaaaaaay far away from you four 'cause you're the ones stinkin' up his turf. Phew! I can smell you already!"

Tohru was worried of this; Hana's evil feline has emerged.

"Now you listen here you little wretch!" but before the fan girl could say another word, Hana grabbed her by her shirt and pulled the girl up to her face.

"Nah, I ain't botherin' to listen to you 'Yuki-love zombies'. Instead, I want you to listen to me! Every girl has their rights talking to Yuki just like all of us here, and they don't care about your friggin' rules anyway. It's you that shuld have precautions to stay away from Yuki and his friends and I don't care how much you like him. I ain't the one who cares much about people like you."

"Oh yeah??!! And who are you to tell us what to do, huh??!" asked another fan girl.

"Did I mention I'm Yuki's very close cousin. We're so close, I sometimes forget whether I'm his cousin or his sister," and gave a wicked smile to the other fan girls. "And man, am I getting' real angry just lookin' at you four. Maybe I'll just fix that problem right now." and cracked her knuckles one by one.

This at last scared the fan girls away. "We just remembered, we have an important meeting to attend to! Bye!" and off they went to hide, lightning-speed.

"Hey, way to go to scare them, Hana. I have to hand it to you, you're quite an actress." cheered Uo, impressed with Hana's simultaneous raw attitude burst.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry. But seriously, I wasn't acting, There's something I need to tell you two so that I wouldn't confuse our friendship. I have a split personality but I only show it when I'm really ticked off or in a bad mood. I'm really sorry, really I am."

"Well let me tell you something, I'm ok with you 'acting' like this around those dumb fan girls as long as you treat our little Tohru nicely, we'll be ok with you." said Uo.

"Don't worry! I'll protect Tohru from whatever clutches of evil around here. Believe me, I know a lot." said Hana as she gave a stare at Kyo for a slight moment.

"HEY!" Kyo and everyone just plainly laughed.

'It's nice that Hana is now a good friend of Uo and Hana and they both seem to like her very much but somehow I keep feeling Hana's still hiding something, from the rest of us back at home.'

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**R&R!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5!!!**

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'Like that time when we were all having dinner together, after a long tiring day. KHana had to go to her classes again that day, after school and was able to come back for dinner.'

"Just keep your hands to yourself, ok??!! I don't want anything else in my hair this time! You hear me??!!"

"Aaww, Kyo, why are you being so mean? I wanted to give that orange jelly to you nicely but I was in a rush so I kinda' dropped it accidentally on your head! You don't mind do you?"

"Mind??!! It took me about a whole two hours for me to get everything off! I almost thought I'd have to shave my head bald!!!"

"I knew you'd understand, and that's why you're my favorite cousin, Kyo!" and gave a goofy smile back.

"WAIT A MINUTE! I WAS SAYIN' . ." "Oh shoot! I'm gonna be late!" said Hana and ate whatever was left in her bowl, cleared up her dishes, fetched her bag with the weird symbol on it, said goodbye to everyone and left for her classes again.

"She really is eager to attend those special classes of hers, isn't she?" said Shigure, after everyone was amazed at Hana's lightning speed.

"Wait! Hana! Oh dear, this isn't good! This is just not good!" said Tohru coming out from the kitchen, holding something in her hand.

"What it is Miss Honda?" asked Yuki. "Is something wrong?"

"Hana left her hand phone and it's very important to her! I have to give it back to her before its too late! She keeps telling me that she'll get a few important calls soon! But how can I find her if I don't even know where to look? Oooh, this isn't good!"

"Her hand phone? Then give it to me, Miss Honda. I might be able to catch up with Hana and I know where I can find her. Just leave it to me." said Yuki.

So Tohru gave Yuki Hana's hand phone and Yuki rushed off to find Hana, hoping she didn't go that far.

"What's so important about her hand phone and her calls anyway? It's not like it's such a big deal." said Kyo.

"Well, maybe it might not be much of a deal to you, Kyo, but it might be a great big deal to Hana when receiving her calls. It could always mean an emergency, you know." said Shigure.

'Maybe her important calls might have something to do with her special classes she's taking. But all I knew was that her hand phone was really important to her and Hana said so the very next day.'

'The following day was Saturday, and finally I had time to get s few more things done. When I woke up, I saw that Hana's things were all cleared up, which meant she woke up before me. Maybe it had something to do with the fact she's half rooster and gets up at dawn.'

"You're possibly right about that fact, you know. At some rare nights, when I go to bed in a stressful or angry mood, I suddenly become nocturnal and have trouble sleeping. But when I go to sleep, I somehow wake up just before the sun rises, just like a rooster, only that I don't crow to wake other people up." Hana said with a laugh.

Tohru and Hana began to laugh together while having some hot tea. It was still shivering cold outside so they rested near the heater.

"So, Tohru, do you have anything to do today? Maybe I can help you out with anything around the house or do a few chores?" asked Hana.

"Well, I was thinking of getting more groceries and some jelly buns for Shigure. He asked me to buy some more for him yesterday. But you don't have to come if you don't want to."

"Nonsense, I have to help you out somehow as a helping hand and as thanks for returning my hand phone last night. I would've died if I didn't return any of those calls that night."

"Well alright then! Let's go shopping together."

'I was so excited when Hana and I went out shopping together! Maybe it was because I wanted to get closer to her and we did talk a lot for a long time. She had so many funny stories of when she was little and was first introduced to Shigure, Kyo and Yuki too!'

"You know something? Sometimes I do think that Yuki and are siblings. He treats me closer than a cousin; he's like an older brother I never had."

"Hana, you don't have any siblings?"

"No, it's just been me, my over-time parents and my house keeper. Mostly I'd just play by myself since my mom was very careful about me not to transform in public. She'd be worried so much she almost wanted me to be home schooled, or she's send me to an all girl academy. Blech! The horror just to imagine it."

"What's wrong with being in a girl school? Your mother is just worried the secret might be revealed other people, that's all."

"But to me, I just wanted to be normal. In order to be normal, you'll have to live in society just like normal people do. I have to go outside in public; I have to be in a normal school with classes and boys. I just want to be myself in the outside world."

' Then I realized something amazing. Hana and Yuki are like brother and sister. I remember Yuki telling me that all he wanted was to live life as a normal person would in society. He wanted to be a part of it, just like Hana told her mom. I was so happy to know. But if Yuki never got along with Kyo, how did he get along with Hana?'

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**R&R!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6!**

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"We're back! Hope someone's hungry for some jelly buns, because we had to go through lots of trouble getting them and I don't want to hear anyone NOT eating them today! You hear me??!!" said Hana as she entered the house.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did I make you go through some kind of trouble getting the jelly buns?? I'm so sorry! I knew I should've gone get them myself! I'm so sorry!" said Tohru, thinking she did something wrong.

"Huh? No silly, you didn't do anything. I'm just playing around, so let me just play this trick on Shigure just a bit, ok? But you'll need someone to help you with the dishes," and went to look for an assistant for Tohru.

"HEY! CARROT-TOP! GET YOUR LAZY BUTT OVER HERE AND HELP OUT, WILL YOU?!!" Clearly she was referring to Kyo.

"WHAT'RE YOU ASKIN' ME FOR? GO HELP HER YOURSELF!!!" he replied.

"I can't. Poor Tohru, made to do all the house work herself, made to enslave under the Sohma family's estate and it's stupid rules! Oh woe is she, how tiring this endless burden for her this must be!" Hana cried, as poetically as she could and suddenly Kyo came storming down the stairs.

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT YOU LAZY WITCH CAT! I'LL HELP! Just shut up already, will ya'?" and went into the kitchen to help set up breakfast for the family.

"Oh Kyo! Nice to see you down here! What are you doing here so early?" asked Tohru, delighted to see Kyo.

"I'm forced to help you with the food so don't ask any more favors for me to do, you got that?!!"

"Oh, I see! Ok! Sorry!" and the two did their work while Hana went to see Shigure in his usual study room, but he wasn't there.

"That's funny, he's normally here working. Or did his editor come by the house early today and scared Shigure away? Maybe, so I'll just leave his stash here." and placed the plastic bad on Shigure's table.

As Hana exited the room, she bumped into Yuki in the hallway. "Oh, hey Yuki!"

"Good morning Hana. Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No; I was hoping we could all eat breakfast together but Shigure's gone missing."

"He had some important business to attend to so lets all enjoy our breakfast first, shall we?"

"Important, as in running away from his editor." joked Hana as they both headed to the kitchen.

"Oh Kyo, thanks so much for helping set out this delicious breakfast with Tohru. You must've been a lot of help seeing that everything is so tasty! See? It wasn't so bad just to help Tohru once in a while!"

"Yeah, yeah, just shut up and eat your plate. I swear if you ask me to do something again like that one more time, I'm gonna . . ."

"Oops! Hold on, I've got a call! I'll take this outside. It's so rude that they can even call you so early in the morning and in the middle of breakfast!" Hana cleared her plates into the kitchen and went to the front porch.

'When Hana was talking on her phone, I wondered if it was one of her important calls she often gets. Mostly they refer to those classes she takes.'

"Umm, Tohru, I was just wondering what were you going to do today."

"I have plans with Uo and Saki today. They said they wanted to take me out to someplace special. Would you like to come along?"

"I'm so sorry but my classes are always interfering. Maybe if I'm not too late afterwards, I'll meet you again at home." and went upstairs to pack her things and later went to her classes.

"It's really strange how she keeps going to her classes but she's never told us what they're for. Yuki, have you ever asked her?"

"Maybe she just doesn't want us to know about her classes, Miss Honda. It's one of Hana's characters; always keeping things a mystery to others." replied Yuki with a smile.

"I guess you're right. If then, would you like to come with me and my friends to hang out today?"

"Of course, Miss Honda, that would be nice."

"And how about you, Kyo? Do you want to join us too?" asked Tohru.

"No way! I have better things to do than to hang out anywhere with that pain-in-the-neck yankee of yours so forget about it!"

"So where exactly are we going again, Miss Honda?"

"It's a surprise for you and Tohru, Prince. It's a treat from Saki's parents today and I bet we'll have some fun!" said Uo.

After the bus ride, Tohru was astounded to arrive at a large stadium where lots of people lined up to get tickets for. "Wow! Are we here to watch an ice-show? I love shows featured on ice-skating!" said Tohru.

"Not quite, Tohru. It's not really the ice-show you might be expecting." said Saki as they all went in, already having their tickets. In the arena, Tohru figured out that it was actually an international ice-skating competition. They would annually hold it in the same stadium every winter.

"Wow! This is even better than an ice-show! Well, not that I'm complaining, but this is just too much of a treat from you, Saki! This is great! I can't believe you took us all out to such an amazing show!"

"Calm down, Tohru. It's just an outing for all of us to enjoy. You should sit down now. The commentators will be introducing the show soon."

While a huge stream lit the commentators desk, the other spotlights whizzed around the arena. "Yes indeed comes again our annual international ice-skating competition for all skaters from the corners of the world to win the chance of proceeding to our finals, held in United States!"

The audience cheered and the commentator went on. "This year, we have exciting news for the locals, that just last winter did a fine young skater enter for the quarter leagues and has made her way to this years competition this fast! That's amazing talent for a new skater on the field! Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Miss Hana Sohma!"

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**R&R!!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 8!!!**

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"I'm sorry, was I a bit too fast for you? I'll slow down the next time you try to follow me. Believe me, I always know when you do." Hana seemed to be her normal, funny self again.

"You know, it was very unlikely of you to make Miss Honda worry like that. You do know how caring she can get, don't you?" said Yuki as he sat beside Hana, now having the same dreaded expression on her face.

"So tell me, was it true what you said earlier? That Miss Honda really didn't distract you, enough to make you trip? I thought you would be happy to see us at your show but it seems that you're actually upset."

"It's not that I'm upset." said Hana so suddenly. "I'm still in training. I'm no professional. I was just embarrassed to be the only amateur in the arena and earning points out of shear dumb luck. I'm not really a winner in the competition."

"Those high marks don't look like dumb luck to me. Why aren't you confident enough to see that? Is there something bothering you?"

"I'm not quite sure. Sometimes I think I am, but when I'm all calm like this out in the open, I don't have a care in the world." said Hana, and stared upwards into the sky above them. Snowflakes started to fall.

"Hey! Snow!" With a giggle, Hana got up from the bench and danced with the snowflakes as if her troubled mind was no more. Yuki smiled, happy to see Hana being her joyful self again. He whispered,

"I'm pretty sure I understand what you mean."

"We're home! Hey Tohru! Are you there? Kyo? Shigure? We're back!" cried Hana while taking off her shoes.

"Hana! Yuki! Where did you go? What were you doing?" said Tohru as she welcomed the two. "Don't worry about us! I was just clearing my mind about a few things! Yuki helped." said Hana, with her ice- skating bag.

'Well, I guess that's reasonable; seeing the closest one to Hana is Yuki himself. He would always be the one to be there for Hana when she needs help.'

"Wow, you were gone for such a long time I thought you went back to you hole in the wall; or should I say swamp, considering you're a witch?" said Kyo, sarcastically.

"Be quiet Kyo. You shouldn't say things like that to Hana." defended Yuki but Hana really didn't mind, since she knew how to handle Kyo by herself.

"Aaw! Did carrot-top miss his favorite cat-cousin?! But not to worry! I know just the thing to cheer you up! Whenever I'm going out, I'm gonna call Kagura over to keep you company then! After all, I'm sure it's been a while since you both have gotten together again, hasn't it?" answered Hana, sneakily.

"WHAT THE--? YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" Kyo spat back, knowing what Kagura always does when she sees him in sight. Kagura has always been obsessive and in love with Kyo ever since small, but she tends to be aggressive as well and beats Kyo without realizing it sometimes; only to snap Kyo back into line. Kyo was afraid of Kagura.

"Don't make me use this phone call, Kyo. Kagura will just be by the push of a few buttons and she'll be here in a heart beat, to know that you've come out from hiding again." Hana snickered.

'Well, at least now Hana's back to her humorous self again; the Hana I knew when we first met. She's also taken to Kyo again but I wonder how she and Kagura get along, since Hana already knows her and her story with Kyo.'

"Maybe you should invite Kagura over sometime. Maybe in time for your next game in the skating competition, Hana." said Yuki.

Suddenly everybody in the hall froze. Hana remembered she never told Shigure about her secret competition or Kyo for that matter.

"What skating competition? Was that what your classes was for all this time???" asked Kyo.

The door slid open and out popped Shigure's head at last. It seemed he returned from his business while the others were out. "Oh Hana! Is that you? Thank you for those jelly buns! You and Tohru are so kind to me! By the way, why are you all standing in the middle of the hallways like statues? You do look awkward indeed."

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**R&R!!!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8!!!**

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On the television screen, Shigure and Kyo witnessed the young skater skating to her hearts content. They couldn't believe she was one of the best skaters in the rink and she was keeping it all a secret.

"My, my! You do dazzle with beauty in that costume of yours, Hana. Now why on earth wouldn't you tell us of your ambition earlier?" asked Shigure,

"It's a funny story actually, heh-heh!" Hana replied nervously.

"I'd never guess you'd actually wear a skirt like those. And I thought you were a tomboy, so looks like you're not after all!" said Kyo.

"I am not a tomboy, ok?! I do wear skirts sometimes, just not all the time. Pants are more comfortable to wear anyway! But I know Kagura has a closet full of them so I guess you're used to her wearing them, huh? I'm sure that was it."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY--??!!" "Now then!" interrupted Shigure, "Isn't wonderful that know Hanas in the ice skating competition, we get to go to the stadium with free tickets! Am I correct, Hana?" asked Shigure, eagerly.

"Sorry Shigure, but in order to get in, you'll have to pay for your own tickets. I'm just a competitor; I can't do anything about that!" Hana said with a chuckle. "Oh darn . . ."

"I bet it's just to see girls in skating outfits again." assured Yuki, knowing Shigure's behavior towards pretty girls.

"I saw you on TV yesterday, Hana!!! You were amazing!!! And you were so pretty in that dress of yours! I can't wait for your next performance! When is it? Can I go with Tohru? Please? Please? Please???" cried Momiji frantically, hugging Hana's legs together.

"Of course you can come, Momiji. I'd be glad to see you in the audience together, but please, don't spray it out so loudly. It might draw attention!" said Hana, her cheeks blushing a light pink.

"You were on national television and you're worried about drawing attention. Oh yeah, that's rich!" smirked Kyo.

"Well, you know what I mean. After all, I'm pretty sure many people here don't know me since I'm still a new student in the area." Hana said with a smile.

"You must be in a real happy mood, not talking back to Kyo like that. What's got you so cheerful all of a sudden?" asked Haru.

"Nothing really. I just woke up cheerful today and I'm still glad I did, because waking up early in the morning with a smile makes everything better in the day!"

"Indeed. That I do agree." said Yuki, who came out of nowhere from all of a sudden. Everyone gave out a shriek; except for Haru and Momiji, who instead gave out a shriek of joy. "Yuki! You scared everyone! That was funny!" he said with a giggle.

"Geez, ya damn rat! Do you always have to creep up on people like that??!! You almost gave us a heart attack . . . . . . well, some of us." said Kyo, frustrated enough from a tiring day of school.

"Just be quiet and don't be a pain. I'm only here to ask Hana if she'd like a walk with me for a minute. It'll only take a while." said Yuki, sharing a sweet smile with Hana. "Oh, ok then! I'll be back in a minute Momiji, just like Yuki said."

"But it's been so long since I've seen you! Can't you walk later? Aaw!"

"Don't worry Momiji! Just stay here with Haru and Kyo and wait until Tohru comes back from cleaning her class. Even better, why don't you go help Tohru clean her class with her, so the work will finish sooner? I'm sure she'd appreciate it!"

"Hey! That sounds like a great idea! Alright then, Hana! You can go with Yuki now!"

"Alight then, Momiji. But before that, can you help me with one more thing?"

"What's that, Hana?"

"Can you let go of my legs so that I can walk, please?"

"Oops! Sorry! I forgot about that!" said Momiji with another giggle and went off to look for Tohru and her class.

"So are you going to invite everyone to your next competition?" asked Yuki. They were walking on a path nearby a frozen lake, where quite a number of students were ice skating and enjoying themselves, since it was after school.

"When you mean everyone, do you mean Haru and Momiji as well? Hmm . . . . I don't know. Momiji is already too excited about it and I don't know how Haru feels about coming so I guess that's a 'yes'!"

Soon Hana saw a wooden fence nearby and leaned on it, and just stared at the beautiful, crystal-like lake. "Ice skating; it's been my hidden passion for a long time now. Everyone says I'm talented and that I have a gift to skate . . . . . but is that really true? Or do I just stick out from the others enough to get noticed?"

"Either way, I must say you're doing your best at it, aren't you? As long as you do, it doesn't matter what others may think; only what your opinion is."

Hana understood a little bit of what Yuki said, and she knew that he was just trying to make her feel better. "Thanks Yuki." For just a few minutes, they both took their time seeing the majestic, glassy pool sparkle in the light. Here, memories filled hana's mind.

'Thanks for all the wonderful things you did for me. You encouraged me from the beginning; you kept me going, kept me doing my best. You did it all for me even if it caused you some trouble for doing it. The first time you lifted my spirits so high meant so much to me; even if that moment seems so far away from now. I know it changed my path to where I am now. I know you did, Yuki; my big brother.'

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**R&R!!!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9!**

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"We're home, and look who's come to visit!" said Hana. Momiji was now in her arms beaming with childish delight, laughing and giggling.

"Well, well. It's nice to see you drop by now and then, Momiji. Would you like something to drink?" offered Shigure. "No thank you! I was just walking Tohru and Hana home!" Momiji replied.

"You were 'walking' Tohru and Hana home? She was carrying you the whole way! Don't you think you're a little heavy for her, you darn rabbit??" said Kyo.

"Aaw Kyo! Don't be so mean! Besides, Hana doesn't really mind, do you, Hana?" asked Momiji, still being carried. "No, not at all. Compared to Kyo, I'm much stronger so you're as light as a feather! You won't have to worry!" said Hana, teasingly.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, HUH??"

"Well, I'd better be going or not I'm going to be in a lot of trouble! So long everyone! Take care now!" cried Momiji and ran off to his place.

After a few waves of goodbyes, everyone went inside and found a big surprise at the table. "Oh Kyo, she just came early today for a visit and bothered to wait for you all this while until you'd return from school. Wasn't that sweet of her?"

"Kyo! My love!! It's been so long since your return to me!!--

"KAGURA?? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE??"

"Kyo . . . don't be so mean to me . . . darling . . ."

"Here we go again." sighed Yuki. Tohru was nervously watching from behind Hana, who seemed to be enjoying this.

" . . . DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH TIME I'VE PUT THROUGH TO WAIT HERE AND SURPRISE YOU!! YOU'RE SO IGNORANT SOMETIMES! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT, KYO?!"

The timid, precious, shy girl earlier suddenly turned into an emotional, vicious, martial arts, butt-kicking cousin. Their cousin, Kagura Sohma; who was now beating Kyo up to a pulp. No one dared to interfere. Then, her eyes suddenly turned to Hana, whom she hadn't noticed before.

"Oh! Hana? Is that you?? What . . . what are you doing here??" Kyo was left to breathe for a couple of minutes. "I'm just sticking around for a while, Kagura. Nice to see you again! It's been so long, hasn't it?"

"Yeah! It has! Hana!" cried Kagura, overjoyed to see a long lost friend of hers who's come to visit. She leaped into Hana's arms with a big, warm fuzzy smile. "Oh Tohru! There you are! So you've met Hana already?" Kagura asked.

"Yeah. Hana came by a couple of days ago already. I'm sorry I didn't tell you because I thought you both wouldn't know each other very well." apologized Tohru.

"It's ok. Actually we don't really know each other that well. The last few times we've ever met were when we were still very small. We'd only meet once a while but we'd never forget our holidays together at the lake!" giggled Kagura.

"The lake? Do you mean the one we visited last time?" wondered Tohru. "No, Miss Honda. This lake house is much different. It's also much further from here and it's in the middle of the forest; as if the Sohma's secret lake spot. As children, we'd spend our time there to play with our other relatives." answered Yuki.

"So you've been there too, Yuki?"

"Yes, as well as everyone else; even Kyo. Though we both have only been there just a few times and later on we just simply stopped visiting the lake." replied Yuki. Kyo just kept quiet.

"Hey! I just had a wonderful idea! Why not we have one last visit to that old place to remake some memories just this once! I'm sure it'll be fun! Can we, Shigure? Can we?" asked Hana.

"Come to think of it, I think that would be exciting visiting the old lake house again. It'll give Tohru a chance to see it as well, although it might not be as neat and tidy as it was before." said Shigure.

"That won't be a problem. It would be a nice opportunity to see it for the last time with everyone else." replied Tohru.

"Alright then! It's settled! Everyone, we're going to the old lake house!"

"Forget me then, because I'm not going." said Kyo and started walking out. "Kyo!? Where are you going?" cried Kagura, but just before she could reach out her hand, Hana stopped her.

"Not a good idea to mess with a grumpy kitty. I think he's thinking something over. Let him have his time, ok Kagura?"

True, Kyo was thnking something over. It was the plan of visiting the old lake house. Kyo being himself, he usually doesn't like tagging along to trips of the family's estates or houses. Kyo doesn't really like having anything to do with the family or even relatives. Tohru just had an uncomfortable feeling about it.

"Memories . . ."

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**R&R!!**


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm sorry, Hana?" asked Tohru, while getting ready for bed, under her covers. Hana was already tucked in her sleeping bag and her cozy blanket. "Memories; the reason I wanted to visit that lake house, one last time. I haven't been there for so long or so many times but the memories there are always cherished. When you spend such precious time with the people you care about, you never want to forget those moments."

"I understand what you mean. It's like when I use to spend time with my mom. I cared about her so much and I never want to forget any of those moments we shared. They just mean that much to me." said Tohru, with a smile.

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother. Brother Yuki told me about it. I can't imagine how that would feel for a person. I'm deeply sorry."

"It's ok. Even though I was really sad about it the first time, I knew my mom wouldn't want me to be miserable all the time. So I have to stay happy, so that she'd be happy for me!"

"That's sweet. I bet your mom was the best. Brother Yuki told me your friends would call her a legend of some sort."

"Uuh . . . yeah . . . Uo and Saki miss her a lot too. She was like our best friend, altogether. By the way, why do you keep calling Yuki 'Brother Yuki'?"

"Just a nickname I thought of. It makes him sound cute too! Which reminds me, do you wanna see some photos of us at the lake house? I looked for them before I moved here."

"Ok, I guess it's not too late to." so Tohru climbed down from her bed to the floor and Hana searched her backpack for a nice little photo album. "Did I also forget to mention these were the times when I first met Yuki, Kyo and Kagura?"

"Really? So Kyo was really there?" asked Tohru, some what surprised.

"Yeah, but he was going through a rough time though. It was some time after his mother passed away. At that time he knew Kagura and Yuki already so the story begins as I arrived." Tohru was excited to hear Hana's tale.

"It was a lovely winter just like this but the snow was thin enough for us all to walk through. In the guest room, I felt lonely. I didn't have anyone to play with then because my mom wouldn't let me play with normal children, fearing my transformation. I was always kept indoors, never to go beyond the household gates. Then one day, Yuki came into my room and gave me the sweetest smile ever. He asked me if I wanted to come outside with him so I didn't hesitate."

"So the first person you were real close friends with was Yuki?"

"Yeah, we became close after that. He was still a quiet boy who didn't really join in many games but he just asked me to walk with him. He told me he liked walking around with a friend and that's why, since I'm here, Yuki likes to walk with me no matter where and sometimes for no reason. We just like walking together and there, we'd walk all around the lake house from the patio compound to the lake and back."

"That's wonderful! Can I ask, what would you two talk about when you were out on your walks?"

"We'd talk about anything! Yuki use to tell me that he was also very lonely before that. Meeting new people was always a bit strange to him but he wanted to. He wanted to make friends, but it was hard for him to. So I told him 'I'll be your friend for you!' and I made him smile again."

While Hanai was flipping through the few pages of the old photo album, Tohru thought to herself that she was glad to learn more things about Yuki, such as how lonely he felt when he was younger, how he behaved with others and how close he was to Hana. Tohru didn't know that they were this close.

"Here we go! This is one of my favorite pictures in this album. Take a look!" as she showed a picture of Kagura, Yuki and herself enjoying a their snacks and drinks together. "How adorable! You all look so cute! I can't believe that Yuki still looks pretty much the same ever since." said Tohru with a kind chuckle.

"Tell me about it. Also, there's someone else there too! Can you see him? The hint is that he's somewhere next to Kagura and the cushion."

"Huh? Really?" said Tohru and looked at the picture again, carefully. She saw sweet little Kagura with her mug and the cushion that was beside her and somewhere behind the cushion, Tohru then saw a face, almost hidden. "Is that . . . Kyo??"

"Yup! That was when I first met Kyo and Kagura. We all sat together to have some drinks and one of the adults came with a camera and took this shot. Back then, Kyo was often unfriendly yet Kagura never left his side. She was madly in love with him even since then."

Tohru and Hana were enjoying themselves, seeing photos of their past at the lake house. Hana could almost remember every story behind each photo which led to more cheerful moments. But they didn't notice someone was watching them having their fun.

Kyo remained still at Tohru's door, hearing every word and story Kasumi told. Kyo was amazed that Hana would keep such photos still, but then he thought to himself that of course, he wouldn't understand Hana's ways as well as Yuki would.

"Here we are with our first giant snowman. Kagura, on the other hand, made her own snowman for Kyo. That's why it looks like a cat. But then this photo holds an uneasy story for me. Kyo started being mean at Yuki." said Hana.

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, Kagura was bothering Kyo with her cute 'snow-cat' and Kyo didn't look rather happy about it so I played a little game on him. I made an easy snowball and tossed it to him. He was surprised about it at first but then Kagura joined in and we continued playing, but Yuki wouldn't play . . ." and on went the story.

Outside Tohru's door, Kyo remembered that certain game of snowballs that day. He had a flashback of his own.

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**R&R!!**


	11. Chapter 11

After finishing their snowman, Kagura and Hana were having fun tossing snowballs at each other as well as Kyo. When Hana turned around, she saw that Yuki wasn't going to join in with them. Hana left Kyo to Kagura and went over to Yuki.

"Yuki, don't you want to play snowballs with us? It'll be fun so at least just play for a little while?"

"No thank you. I can just watch you play. I'm alright." Yuki replied.

"Come on, just play with me! You should play games with us too! It's normal for children to play games all the time, not sit on the floor and do nothing."

After having a few moments with those sparkly, green eyes of hers, Yuki finally agreed to play, only for a little while. "Ok then. First you take a scoop of snow and roll it into a ball, and then when you finished your snowball, you throw it to someone as hard as you can. Ready? Throw!"

And with that Yuki threw his snowball and hit Kyo's face until he fell to the ground. Everyone gasped and so did Yuki. Kyo got up and saw Yuki and he started to shout, "What do you think you're doing? You're not supposed to throw that hard!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I threw it that hard." replied Yuki. Kagura kneeled down to Kyo and asked if he was hurt. "No, I'm fine! I just don't want to play with him anymore!" and went walking back to the lake house.

"I'm sorry, Yuki. If I didn't tell you to throw so hard, Kyo wouldn't be mad at you already." but Yuki answered Hana that he and Kyo were never really good friends, that's why he would rather stick with Kagura instead. Hana didn't understand the situation then.

Kyo heard Hana talking to Yuki but he didn't look back. He just kept on being ignorant. Kyo remembered his days at the lake house as well as Hana and Yuki but he always thought them as useless memories.

"And here's one from after my accident at the lake. This is one memory I'll never forget." said Hana as she showed Tohru another photo. There she was, lying in warm covers with, none other than, Yuki sitting beside her. "Wow, were you sick that day? What accident? Did you get hurt real bad? Was Yuki there too?" asked Tohru.

"You see, the accident was completely my fault. Once, I tripped over and twisted my ankle so I couldn't walk. An adult checked me over and said that I wouldn't be able to skate until my ankle would feel better and it was left bandaged. I was a bit sad that I couldn't skate that I didn't eat lunch that day. I knew Yuki was worried for me because he tried to cheer me up and stuff. Then he told me that I had to eat something or not I would get sick and when I looked into his worried eyes, I decided to eat something. Instead of leading me to the kitchen, Yuki said he would get the food for me so he left me alone on the patio."

"That was so nice of Yuki. I guess he hasn't really changed, hasn't he? He's still as caring and thoughtful as he was before." said Tohru.

"True, but when he left me on the patio, I was alone. This was when I began being careless. I simply took my skates and walked, or limped, all the way to the lake. I just had to see the lake to calm my mind because it saddened me that I couldn't skate on it that day. But at the lake, I tripped again and my skates went sliding to the lake and instead of calling for help, I wanted to get my skates myself. That was pretty darn stupid."

"Well, maybe not 'stupid' but it's dangerous to do such a thing. What happened, Hana?"

"What made it worse that it was the thin ice part of the lake. I tried using long sticks to reach my skates and 'fish' them out but it was no use. I just had to get them somehow. Then I decided to go the other way around. I went to the thick part of the ice to reach my skates but either way, the ice was hard to walk on so I crawled my way to my skates. But I wasn't careful enough . . ."

"What happened?"

"I broke through the ice and I can still remember the chills it gave my spine. Even though it cooled down my ankle, the water was freezing cold making it difficult to breathe. I tried to climb out from the hole but it was too slippery. I tried to call out for help but I was almost out of breath and no one could've heard me. As I hung onto the ice, I had a black out and the rest was a blur."

"You fell into the water?? Oh no!" cried Tohru.

"That was what I was told after I woke up. When I did, I saw Yuki by my side, holding my hand. He looked as worried as ever. He asked me why I would do such a thing without telling him or anyone else and then I said the strangest thing. I guess I was still dizzy from it all happening so fast." said Hana with a weak chuckle.

"What did you say to him?"

"Yuki, you have such long hair . . . you look like a girl, and I laughed. I could see him smile and told me to rest. At the far corner, there was someone else in the room with us and I saw it was Kyo. He just sat there and Yuki told me that Kyo came to see me too, just to see if I was feeling better. I thanked Kyo but he wouldn't say a word; just look at me."

"Maybe he was just worried he had nothing to say. Or maybe he was shy to talk to you then." said Tohru.

"Maybe, and Yuki told me Kyo wanted to come see me but he didn't say anything. Then Yuki left the room to get my lunch for me since I didn't eat yet and when I was alone with Kyo, he came closer to me. He wanted to sit by my side like Yuki did and that's when we began to know each other.

Kyo could also remember . . .

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r and r!


	12. Chapter 12

**Yaaaay! Flashback time!!**

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"Are these yours?" and showed Hana her skates, which were still a little damp. Hana sat up and nodded. This was her first time talking to Kyo so closely. "Take better care of them then! Don't be so careless next time." Kyo seemed as if he were stern but Hana knew this was also his first time talking to her and she felt he was also as worried as well as shy.

"Thank you . . . for caring." replied Hana, now feeling comfortable with Kyo, who was blushing, even though he was very close beside her. "Can I ask you something? Do you know who helped me? Were you there too? Was it Yuki?"

"One of the adults helped you, not Yuki. He didn't help at all. He can't swim in freezing water because of his health problem. Don't you remember anything?"

"Not really . . . did you also help me?" Hana asked again, with a smile. "Well . . . I . . . was," but before Kyo said anything, Yuki came back with Hana's lunch and Kyo remained silent just like before.

After some time ever since Hana's accident, Kyo started playing with them again. Even though he didn't like Yuki being around, Kyo started being close to Hana whenever she would play with Kagura. Later on, there was one time when Yuki didn't go to the lake house that year. Hana was sad because her very close friend didn't come that day.

Hana just sat in her room, watching the snowflakes fall from the sky. Suddenly Kyo knocked and came to the door. "Hey Hana, don't you wanna play snowballs outside? Me and Kagura need you to play with us."

"You can play with Kagura. I'll just watch from my window."

"No you shouldn't. At least come outside. You'll feel better. Come on!" said Kyo and took her hand and led her outside. Hana was still not that close to Kyo and was shocked that he really wanted her to come outside. Kyo was right; being outside did make her feel better.

Outside, under the snowflakes, Hana could see herself and Yuki walking around in the snow together. Hana just felt lonely again. Kyo didn't really understand why but he didn't like it.

"Why do you miss him so much, anyway? He's not so fun." said Kyo, drawing doodles in the snow.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Hana.

"You know how he is! He has that health problem and all he does is walk around the place. He never plays any games with us and he doesn't even build snowmen with us!"

Hana turned to face the snowflakes again. "It's not that I miss him. I'm just worried for him." Kyo listened. "He always tells me that he was lonely and asks me to be with him so since I'm away from him this time, I'm just wondering how he's feeling right now. He doesn't have a friend in the world, ya' know." and turned to Kyo with a smile. "Oh." he answered.

"You're lucky you always have Kagura with you; that way you're never lonely." Hana changed the subject. "Are you kidding? She's annoying when she's always with me!" said Kyo shockingly.

Hana laughed slightly, and Kyo slowly started to smile. Hana became good friends with Kagura and with Kyo but usually, to make Kagura laugh, she would tease Kyo again and again as they got older. That was when Kyo started to see her as an annoying cousin, just like Kagura, in another way.

After the whole flashback of those good times, Kyo was confused of what he saw in Hana. Maybe to him, she was just like any other annoying cousin or maybe she was closer to him than he thought. Maybe, even though she sees Yuki as her brother, Kyo might've seen Hana as his sister because of their obvious relationship. Nothing serious between them, like Kagura, but like real family.

Suddenly with a firm hit on the head, the photo album stayed on Kyo's head and then fell in front of his face. "A photo album?? . . . Uh-oh . . ."

He turned to find Hana who caught him sitting just a bit from Tohru's door. "You've got a lot of nerve eavesdropping from a girl's room, carrot-cat. Maybe you'd like to explain to me that somewhere else?"

On the roof, Kyo told Hana how he also remembered those times they shared at the lake house and even Hana's accident. "And that's why I decided . . . I guess I'm comin' to see the lake house too. Not that it's like remaking memories or anything, just for old time's sake! Ya' know, give that old heap a chance too."

"You promise?" asked Hana, somewhat deviously.

"Huh? Yeah! Sure, whatever. Just as long you don't go swimming again."

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing! Nothing!"

"Well, alright then! Glad to hear you're coming," and jumped down from the roof. "I bet Kagura's gonna be real happy when she hears about this! I guess I forgot to mention that too, huh?"

"WHAT!? YOU INVITED HER TOO??" But before he knew it, Hana was chuckling all the way back to Tohru's room, where Tohru had already fallen asleep.

'Damn it, Hana! Why do you always have to do this to me?! Always dragging Kagura into things! It's always when we're having a conversation, she always drags someone else in to change the subject . . . especially Kagura. I don't get it . . . why?'

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**R&R!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13! Enjoy!**

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"Well here we are, children! The old lake house! It might not be as splendid as it was before but it's still manageable!" chuckled Shigure with delight.

"Will you stop being so childish. I swear, I think the 'children' are much more mature than you." said Hatori, who was still driving up the hill.

"Hey, can you 'adults' stop calling us 'children'? Please, you act like we're still 6 year olds!" said Hana with a laugh. As they all got out of the rented vehicle, everyone made their way to the comfort of the wooden lake house. It was huge, dusty and was not cared to for a long time. "If we're going to stay here long, it might take some time to refurnish the inside and make it tidy and cozy." said Shigure.

"Thanks then, Shigure! It's nice of you and Hatori to volunteer cleaning up the place while us 'children' go play outside! See ya' later!" cried Hana and they all went out to enjoy themselves.

"Wait! I didn't say that! Oh dear, they've all gone. Hatori, at least you're here to help me, right?" whimpered Shigure.

"I'm sorry Shigure but I wasn't the one who volunteered to help." replied Hatori while pouring himself some hot tea.

"Hatori! How can you be so mean!!"

Outside, further away from the lake house, everyone was climbing their way up the hill. "I wonder if Hatori and Shigure will be alright. Maybe I should help them." said Tohru, feeling worried.

"Don't worry about them, Tohru. I know those two and they'll be fine with each other, don't worry. They're responsible 'adults' who can take care of anything." joked Hana.

"Looks like a nice hill to me. Hey Hana! Wanna race?" cried Kyo from the top of the snow covered mount. "Sure! What's in it for me if I beat you?" Hana answered in her usual devious manner.

"No bets, just a race! Is it too much to ask?"

"It is, when you're asking me to play. See ya' later Tohru! Stay close to Yuki so you won't get lost. Yuki and I know these parts a lot better than anyone else." said Hana and ran over to Kyo to begin their race.

"Is it true, Yuki? Do you and Hana really know these woods?"

"Why, yes, Miss Honda. You see, when we were little we used to walk around these woods and the whole lake. And it was always fun walking with Hana. So that's why I would call Hana to walk with me, I'm afraid." replied Yuki.

"Right, that's what Hana told me."

"Wait, Hana told you that already?" asked Yuki surprisingly.

"Yeah, she told me a lot of things of when you and everyone else were small. She also told me about that accident she had at the lake. Poor Hana, I can't imagine being stuck in water below freezing temperature. Thank goodness she made it out alright."

"Yes, she made it out safely. I still feel terrible of that dreadful day." said Yuki, dropping his tone.

"Why is that, Yuki? Did something else happen?"

"It's not that it happened, it was something I should've done when Hana was found in the lake. I left her alone on the porch and the next thing I knew, she was missing. I immediately dropped the plate and went off trailing her tracks in the snow until I saw Hana. I could see only her hand was out, grasping onto the ice while her body was in the water; then she sunk beneath the ice."

"Hana told me that Kyo was the one who told her that you couldn't dive down to get Hana out because of our health condition then. You were really ill when you were small so don't blame yourself too hard, Yuki." said Tohru, trying to comfort him.

"Yes, I knew I couldn't save her . . ." said Yuki, having images back into his head of him calling out to Hana but she laid unconscious as she sunk into the water deeper, and deeper. "So I should've called for help. But I didn't. For some reason I just stood at the ridge of the lake, frozen like the ice itself."

"You were in shock for all of it happening too fast. Oh Yuki . . ."

"Thankfully just a few moments later, Hana was rescued and returned straight to the lake house to recover. Even though I worried for her, so much, I couldn't do anything. I was a coward in the worst of times."

"But after that, you stayed with her until she fully recovered. You were really worried for Hana and she knows you always do. She knows you care about her and she cares about you too. I already know Hana and I know she wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

After a few moments and some glances at Hana having fun snowboarding down the hill, beaming with happiness and that smile of hers. "I suppose so. But enough about these old stories, how about we enjoy ourselves a little, since we're here?"

Yuki had his smile back and Tohru was glad of it. "I know! Why don't we get Kagura with us to do something together? Hey Kagura!" cried out Tohru to Kagura, who was cheering for Kyo for the race, at the top of the hill. "Do you wanna make a snowman with us? Come on! I'm sure you're great at making snowmen!"

"Yeah! I'd love to!" and came running down the hill. "I love making snowmen! Did Hana tell you that? Come on, Tohru! Lets make some snow-animals! I wanna make a snow-cat!"

"Alright then, then I'll make a snow-dog!" laughed Tohru as she followed Kagura. "Yuki, aren't you coming?"

"In a moment, Miss Honda. I'll be right with you." replied Yuki. "You and Kagura may go ahead first."

Kyo caught up with Yuki and was breathing heavily; exhausted after racing with Hana. When Kyo had he energy to stand up straight, he watched Hana playing happily with the others, without a care in the world.

"You're too pathetic. You were beaten by a girl in snowboarding. I thought you were good in sports." said Yuki with a smirk on his face.

"Shut it ya' damn rat. I only lost because I let her win, YOU HEAR ME??" Kyo made his fists at Yuki only momentarily but then continued to watch the others enjoy themselves in the snow. "What are you thinking, Kyo?"

"Why do you care? It's none of your damn business." snapped Kyo.

"If it's regarding Hana, then it's more than just my business." remarked Yuki.

A moment of silence followed until Kyo then answered, "It's like she doesn't remember anything; nothing but the lake house." Kyo said confusedly.

"I think its better that way. Who can imagine how she would feel if she did remember. Even so, there's nothing either of us can do about it. We'll just help her in any way we can." said Yuki in his often serious manner.

Kyo nodded slightly. From Hanai's point of view, she just saw Kyo and Yuki mumbling in the distance. She wondered what was going on between the two because normally they would fight in their usual conversations.

"Hey you two! What's happenin' over there? Come on and join the fun over here!" called Hana. Kyo and Yuki got the message and came over. As Kyo came closer to Hana, he was just about to say something when suddenly, with brute force, Kyo was pulled over by none other than Kagura.

"Kyo! Come over and see what I made for the both of us!" she cried. There stood a sculpture of a cat and a warthog. In the snow Kagura drew a big heart saying 'Kyo + Kagura' in the middle.

As usual, Kyo would give his nasty remarks on the whole idea and Kagura would return the favor, beating him senselessly in the snow and dirt. Hana just laughed at the sight of it. Tohru tried her best to stop Kagura from going any further.

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**Please R&R!!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14! Enjoy!**

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When Hana turned around, there stood Yuki gazing at the big snow- rat Hana had made. Hana blushed for a moment and then said to Yuki that she made the snowman for him. "That was very thoughtful of you, Hana. I find it very cute."

"Is it cute? Really, Brother Yuki?"

Yuki gave her a big, sweet smile. Later, everyone was enjoying themselves at the patio with their hot cups of cocoa. Kyo sat on the fence with Kagura clinging onto his arm every darn minute. Tohru and Hana sat on the steps together and Yuki stood close by.

"Alright now . . . the inside's finished . . . your meals are done . . . are you satisfied?" whimpered Shigure because he was made to do so much work in the lake house.

"Yeah, Shigure. I'm more than satisfied; I'm glad! Thanks a lot! I knew we could count on you." said Hana with a smile. For a moment, Shigure felt proud of himself but was too exhausted to show it and just gave a weak smile. Then he collapsed anime style.

Inside, everyone was having their hot bowls of noodles they ordered out. They had their funny conversations, jokes and old stories of many other memories, not by them but, by Shigure and the other adults too. Everyone looked like they were having fun.

In a separate room, Shigure and Hatori were relaxing with some sips of sake. "At least she's getting along fine, isn't she? Even though she acts as if she met you yesterday, Doctor Hatori."

"It's none of our concern anymore, Shigure. I know you can't help feeling worried for a teenaged girl."

"Yes, I'm very worried for her. What if Akito heard the news of her ice skating breakthrough? What would he do then?"

"I don't think you should worry about his actions, for now. If Akito was actually planning something, I would know."

"Yes, quite true. It also seems that Kyo's taking this pretty well ever since she dropped by."

"Don't be too sure. Kyo may look undisturbed, but you don't know anything about him more than I do."

"I suppose you're right. You'd have to be, to be Doctor Hatori!" chuckled Shigure, teasingly. "Stop calling me that."

Still enjoying the warmth inside the lake house, everyone rested awhile with their full stomachs of noodles and soup. Hana and Tohru kept on talking. "See there?" Said Hana, pointing out the window next to them. "After Winter, there'd be cherry blossoms in full bloom in every tree around this house, I think; though I've never seen them myself."

"Really? Why is that Hana?" asked Tohru.

"It's only because I get to visit Japan in Winter and not in any other seasons. Sometimes mom and dad get so uptight in work, they don't really have time for vacations. I'm almost the same with my ice skating parts."

"Then what about your flat your parents are handling right now? I thought you'd stay there?"

"We all do, whenever we drop by Japan. I just like visiting Shigure and the others a lot because they're my family too! I get a lot of free time because my folks are usually working and I'm left bored stiff. It's a good thing I have you and Kagura to keep me company this time!"

"So does this mean you'll be going back soon? Back to your real home? When will that be, Hana?"

"Yeah, that's right. Me and my folks are going back to the states. My mom's side of the family live there so it's a must to move back in. It'll be pretty soon, after the whole ice skating competitions over, which is more than a week for now."

"Oh dear! Why didn't you tell us sooner?? We could've done so many things yesterday! And the day before! And the day before that! I should make you a parting gift! No; we should all make parting gifts! For you and your parents! Come on, Hana! Let's go!"

But with a grab hold onto Tohru's coat, Hana stopped her from joining the others in their group on the other side of the room. "Wait! Don't tell the others, not just yet! Please Tohru?"

Confused, "Why not?" asked Tohru.

"Well, first of all, I'm not really sure when I'm leaving and second, I just don't want to surprise them this much at first. But anyway, just don't tell them anything, please Tohru? At least not yet; I'll tell them myself."

Pleaded Hana and Tohru then agreed with her decision. 'Maybe it would have been too sudden for Hana to leave this soon. After all Yuki did say that Hana would stay for the whole winter until days before new years. Although I wonder . . .' Suddenly Tohru had a thought.

It was almost time to go home but Kyo and Hana were too caught up in their snowboarding races up and down the same hill, over and over again. Everyone else was left aside to cheer for them. Kagura, of course, took Kyo's side.

"Um . . . Yuki . . . I hope you don't mind me asking this." whispered Tohru, away from Kagura's attention.

"What is it, Miss Honda?"

"You did say that Hana and her family would usually leave sometime before new years to celebrate with her family in the states, right?"

"Yes. Why? Is there something wrong?" Now feeling concerned.

"No! No! Nothing at all! It's just that . . . uuuh . . ." Now feeling a bit nervous. "It's just that . . . isn't it tradition for all the Sohmas to celebrate their new years at the Main House? So why would Hana rather spend her new years with her mother's family in the states?"

Just then, Yuki froze, which then made Tohru realize something was about to come out. There was a true reason why Hana had never spent her new years at the Main House; why Hana would only come back to Japan only in Winter and no more.

"It's because she doesn't know anything about the main house."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

**Please R&R!!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15!! The last and final chapter of Old Cousin Here to Stay!!**

Somewhere out back, away from the others as well as Shigure and Hatori, who were busy with the car, Yuki and Tohru had a private talk about Kasumi and more about her past.

"What do you mean she doesn't know anything about the main house? What about Akito? And Hatori? She seems to remember Hatori."

"Of course she remembers Hatori as our family doctor but their relationship is not as strong as the rest of us as you could see."

"I see. I guess that's why Hana keeps calling him Doctor Hatori instead. I thought she was just being polite, or at least as a joke."

"No, not a joke. Listen, Miss Honda, I will only tell you this much because even I myself do not know much of what has happened in Hana's life. All I can tell you is just that something went wrong; terribly wrong. Hana had made an awful mistake and surely Akito just wanted to fix it."

Tohru still didn't know what happened between Hana and Akito and what was her mistake in the Sohma family. Was it because of her curse of two spirits? Or maybe something else other than that? "All you need to know is that Akito succeeded in fixing the problem. This way, Hana is much happier; can't you see Miss Honda?"

Yuki turned to face Tohru. "Without any acknowledgement of Akito or the main house, don't you think Hana is better that way? She's protected, she's almost free; without any of Akito's house rules to bring her down. She's almost free." In Yuki's eyes, there were faces of happiness but faces of tears as well. Tohru understood what Yuki meant and comforted him with a smile.

"I suppose you're right. She is much happier this way, and hopefully she will be long enough." said Tohru. 'I'm sure Kyo knows about this too but I can't help but be curious of what happened with Hana and Akito that turned out to erasing her memories of the Sohma's main house, and Akito himself. I guess I'll never know for sure.'

Thoughts pondered in Tohru's mind again, all the way back to Shigure's residence. "Thanks for the trip, Doctor Hatori!" said Hana as she waved Hatori goodbye. Hatori waved back from the seat window and drove off.

"He sure is a nice guy, isn't he? He actually gave up most of his time to take us to the lake house! He really is nice." said Hana.

"You don't have a clue." murmured Kyo, under his breath.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"So do you think she's gonna win this thing, Tohru? I bet she's good enough to blow those judges' minds!"

"I sure hope so Uo-chan. Saki-chan, what do you think?"

"The chance of our dear Hana winning such an undeniably harsh competition would be excellent if she were to win such a prized moment; therefore we must have faith in our loved one."

"Uuh . . . translation??" asked Kyo.

"She means Hana has a chance to beat the odds and win the competition but we must believe in her as well. Obviously you're not paying much attention, you ignorant cat."

"I dare you to say that again you damn rat!" argued Kyo and Yuki quietly, trying hard not to cause a scene.

"Kyo! Over here! I have your seat next to mine! Quickly! Hana's the fourth skater on the rink!" cried Kagura. Momiji, Haru and Shigure followed them from behind and soon the competition began just like before.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"WHAT?? YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE TOMORROW??" yelled Kyo, shockingly to discover Hana's flight plans for the next afternoon.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier but mom and dad have to catch up at the offices. I really didn't want you to bother about it much, even though I'm leaving much earlier than usual." said Hana.

"It's true. Normally you would stay until the week before new years. Why the sudden rush?" asked Yuki.

"Well, mom and dad have lots of work and the competition's already over. I really have to stay put at studying at school and I might not have anything planned for ice skating anytime soon, where I'm going."

"Wait! Don't tell me you're just depressed about getting fourth place in the finals just enough to go back home! Hana! I know you didn't get to go to the Olympics and all but you don't have to cry all the way home!"

"Who said I was gonna cry all the way home, ramen-for-brains!! Me going home has nothing to do with the competition! I'm telling you, it was my parents' decision! Geez, get a grip!"

"Ok then, but . . ." Kyo stopped in his tracks. Hana's emerald eyes met with his rubies and for a moment, they both froze.

"Fine then! Go home if you like! Why would I care? You'll just come back in a few more years anyway!"

Then, in Hana's mind, something switched! "Oh-ho-ho!! I get it! You're gonna miss me when I'm gone, aren'tcha?? That's right! You really don't want me to leave!!"

"WHAT?? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING! YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MIND!! WHY WOULD I WANT YOU HERE??"

"Aaw, don't worry Kyo! I'll miss you too! Come here!" and with that, Hana leaped onto Kyo for a friendly hug. "AAAGH!!" A big friendly hug.

"HEY!! LEGGO OF ME!! YA' DARN WITCH! LEMME GO!!"

"Say please, Kyo!" giggled Hana.

"Hey Kyo! Wait for me! I wanna hug you too!!" cried Kagura, "HELL NO!!" - and leaped onto Kyo's body as well, which made him fall for the second time. "GET OFF ME WOMAN!! DARN IT!!"

"This is just a too precious moment. I should get my camera!" chuckled Shigure.

"You should hurry when he's too distracted." whispered Yuki. Tohru smiled seeing how Hana got along with the family but was also sad to see her go so soon. It was just a month when Tohru had found Hana in her zodiac form, all left out in the snow and that was their first meeting.

Hana turned to see Tohru looking down at the floor in her thoughts of Hana leaving to the states after a meaningful visit. Suddenly a gentle hand raised Tohru's chin up and she saw it was Hana; with her sweetest and sensitive smile.

"Now, now. There's no need to look glum. I know I'm leaving sooner than expected but it's not like I'm dead or anything."

"Ah! Please! Don't! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to look that way! It's just that it was so sudden and you haven't . . . and we haven't . . . it's just so fast that I --," but before Tohru could carry on, Hana had grabbed hold of her body with a big, warm hug. No one said another word.

" . . . H-Hana?? . . ." said Tohru with a much softer tone of voice. As Hana finished off her bear hug, her face was beaming with joy. "I'm very glad to have met such a wonderful person, Tohru, and that's you. Everyone's so lucky to be with you and as your friend and what's more you're grateful for that too."

"I hope I get to meet lots of people like you back in the states, Tohru. Oh! How I wish you'd just come along with me!" cried Hana. Everyone was smiling again and so was Tohru, happier than ever.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The next day everyone went to the airport to see Hana off. Hana's stay had come to an end but just before boarding the plane, she was showered with last minute good-byes.

"I'll be waiting till your next visit, Hana!"

"I'll be glad to stop by your place, Momiji!" replied Hana while giving Momiji slight pinches on the cheek.

"Yeah! And next time tell me when you're coming first! I don't wanna be left out again!" cried Kagura.

"I won't, Kagura. I promise!" And with much hugs and kisses, it was down to Kyo. He had his arms crossed on his chest and was facing the other way. Hana smiled cunningly and got hold on his cheek.

"Aaw, ain't you cute when you're acting all tough-like!"

"SHUT IT WITCH! LEGGO!"

"Don't worry Kyo. No matter what you say or what you do, you're always gonna be my favorite cousin!"

Kyo stopped for a second from hearing those words and then he gave a sigh. "Yeah, and maybe you're not so bad yourself." and gave a pat on Hana's shoulder. "But you're still a tomboy to me."

"Don't care!" and gave a hug around Kyo's neck. "You too, Yuki and I'll make my hug a long one." and went over to Yuki's neck.

"Don't make it too long or else you'll miss your flight."

"If only I could. Well, my folks are calling me already. Time to go! See ya' guys next time! You too, Tohru and take care!" and with her last goodbyes, took her bags and hurried to the gates. With a last glance at Kyo, he could've sworn he saw a single tear drop.

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"Don't worry Tohru. I'm sure there'll be some other times for Hana to visit us again." said Shigure. "It's ok. I'm alright really." In the car, Kyo just kept staring at the bare cherry blossom trees. They were empty, just like Hana's forgotten past.

Time passed and it was much, much later in Spring. Uo-chan had her allergies again and stayed indoors, along with Kyo who was deep in thought again. "Hey, carrot-head! You ok? You seem to be down with something or is something just botherin ya' in your mind?"

"None of your damn business, yankee! Like you'd care about anything in my head." Kyo snapped back and walked out the door.

"Geez! What's his problem? Doesn't he know when someone's tryin to help him??" said Uo-chan, mildly upset.

"It seems something is bothering his tranquility of normal thought, for so long. It is out of question whether to interfere or not." said Saki-chan, while still into her book.

Out in the school grounds, cherry blossoms followed the wind and everywhere, trees were in sight. Kyo recapped the moment when Hana said she had never seen a tree in full bloom before herself. "But you're wrong, Hana. You have seen it . . . only once that day." said Kyo as his head hung down.

Just then, he heard some talk going on at the front gates. He saw Yuki standing there and he was speaking with someone. 'Who's that damn rat talking to this time?' Wondered Kyo and began to walk towards them. Around the corner, Kyo appeared in front of Yuki. "Hey rat. Who's your friend over here . . .?" and froze in his tracks again.

"Hey Kyo. Great to see you again, isn't it?"

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**Guess who it is?! **

**Sadly...this is the last and final chapter.**

**But don't worry! There is a sequal!!**

**R&R!!**


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